


Cold

by TheCephalopodAgency



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, detective stuff, hopefully, it's funny because you have no context, usually people say it's gonna heat up?, well this time things are gonna get cold
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-05-28 21:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15058115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCephalopodAgency/pseuds/TheCephalopodAgency
Summary: "Congratulations, Detective, I’ve finally found you a partner.”With Hank, and most of the DPD, out of commission, that leaves only Connor and Gavin to investigate a series of brutal android murders.Nobody is going to be happy with this situation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Connor's last name is now Anderson and you can't convince me it's not.

“Anderson, Reed, in my office!” Connor’s head snapped up from his desk when he heard his name called. Captain Fowler caught his eye when he looked to his office, waving his hand in his ‘hurry up, I don’t have all day’ gesture before ducking back inside the room. He glanced over to Detective Reed’s desk and watched him finish off his coffee before slipping out of his chair with a yawn. A quick look at the clock on Connor’s computer screen reminded him just how late it was.

Connor finally pulled himself out of his observations and fell in line behind the other detective as they ascended the short staircase into what Hank liked to call his own personal hell. Connor himself felt the smallest bit apprehensive whenever the Captain called him to the office. Even when he was in a good mood, he sounded angry, so he could never quite tell if he was in for a bad time when he sealed himself in the office with him.

Fowler seemed to look them both over as if he was about to change his mind, then shook his head. He didn’t have an LED for Connor read, but he didn’t need it to see the man was nearing the end of the metaphorical rope. The amount of stress rolling off of him in waves was almost tangible. He couldn’t blame him; it was only a month after Markus’s Revolution and the integration was slow going. Human-Android relations were tense, and it seemed like every day, at least ten new cases of human on android violence found their way into Connor and Hank’s desks. With Hank currently out of commission with the flu, Connor was swamped with more work than even he could handle, and his own stress levels never dipped below 43%.

It had to be worse for Captain Fowler. Hank wasn’t the only one out sick; the virus was particularly nasty this year, and had spread without mercy through the department in the past weeks. The building had been eerily empty, with only a few android officers and humans who had either avoided or already recovered remaining. Everyone was overclocking hours at a time just to keep a handle on things.

“I’m reassigning you,” he said bluntly to Detective Reed. “We just stumbled into something messy and I need people I can trust not to run their mouths on it. With everyone else out of commission, that leaves you two. Congratulations, Detective, I’ve finally found you a partner.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but Connor could pinpoint the exact moment when Detective Reed realized what the Captain was telling him. All traces of exhaustion were wiped off his face in an instant, replaced with narrow-eyed anger. It was shockingly similar to the start of the conversation Hank and Captain Fowler had regarding the deviant cases last month.

“What?!” Detective Reed snapped. “You can’t be serious! I’m not going anywhere with this asshole!” He jabbed his finger at Connor to emphasize his point. Well, at least he dropped the ‘tin can’ and ‘plastic’ insults, which was a lot more than he ever expected of Detective Reed. Not that he was ever any nicer to him, of course.

“I can’t say I’m pleased about this either,” Connor added cautiously.

“Is there anyone in this damn precinct who listens to me?” Fowler growled. “I don’t care how much you hate each other, with half the department out we don’t have the luxury of picking our partners.”

“Yeah?” Reed snarled. “I’ve done just fine without a partner, I don’t need one now, especially not him.”

“Do not start with me, Gavin, I’m not in the mood for this. Until Hank is fit for duty again, you’re taking on this case with Connor.”

Reed opened his mouth to say something else but Fowler held his hand up and interrupted him,.

“If the next thing out of your mouth isn’t ‘yes sir,’ I don’t want to hear it, and I won’t hesitate to pull out your disciplinary record if you keep pushing me.”

The detective’s face turned an interesting shade of red, but a warning glare from Fowler kept his tongue in check.

“Fine. What do we have?”

“That’s what I thought.” Captain Fowler lifted his tablet and swiped his finger across it. The screen against the wall displayed several images. Connor scanned them quickly and noted the address was for a bar downtown. “We got the call about an hour ago. A couple of drunks stumbled across the body.”

The location on the screen was replaced by an image of a battered corpse lying across the alley. It was a human male, who appeared to have suffered massive trauma to the head. His face was an unrecognizable mass of bruised and bloodied flesh.

“If I may, Captain, what about this case in particular requires such discretion?” Connor asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. It was gruesome, sure, but it didn’t look like it deserved this level of secrecy.

“I was getting there,” Fowler sighed. “So far, there haven’t been any cases of violence where an android has been the aggressor. This time, we have reason to believe the murderer wasn’t human.”

That certainly was messy. At the moment, there was so much support for the android cause, thanks to Markus’s determination to remain peaceful. While not all androids were as pacifistic as Markus, the public had a very specific image of the innocent, non-violent android. If it got around that androids were committing murder, it could damage Markus’s efforts. It could set negotiations back, when they were still at a critical moment.

“We found evidence of thirium degradation on his hands and clothing. Not enough to prove anything, but there’s little other evidence at the scene. I don't think I need to tell either of you what’s at stake.” He gave Detective Reed a hard look.

“Yeah, I get it, play nice. You don't need to tell me twice.”

“And get, I don't find myself relieved. The both of you will behave, or there’ll be consequences. Now get going.”

“Right away, Captain.”

Reed was out the door and halfway to his desk before Connor even turned. It was almost impressive if it didn't irritate him the slightest bit. His hand wrapped around the door handle and he was about to pull it open when Captain Fowler stopped him.

“If he gives you any trouble, don't hesitate to report him.”

“Sir?”

“You’re one of us now. Just remember that. Now get going.”

“Yes sir.” Despite the situation with Detective Reed, he found himself smiling when he joined the other detective by his desk, where he was busy throwing things into his bag, including his copy of the case file.

“I'm getting a coffee before I go. If you aren’t by the car in ten minutes you’re finding your own ride.” Detective Reed spoke through gritted teeth, tossing one final look at Captain Fowler, still watching them from behind his desk, before pushing his chair in angrily and cursing again. Connor winced and found himself wondering of calling a taxi would be the safer route. But no, they were assigned this case together, and he needed to work with him whether he liked it or not.

“Don't worry Detective Reed, I’ll be there.”

“Whatever.” He muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (How do I write??? I've forgotten again -A-;;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, I just keep writing things that happen later instead of things that I should be writing.

The air in the car was tense. Connor fiddled with his coin in one hand and held his case file in the other, trying to ignore the harsh tapping on the steering wheel. It surprised him that Detective Reed drove an older model. Most adults his age had a modern car. It reminded him of Hank’s car, only Detective Reed’s was much cleaner. It also lacked personalization, like his desk at the precinct.  
  
There was nothing hanging from the mirror, nothing in the back seat aside from the bag he tossed in before they left. A quick scan revealed minimal dust particles, implying that he drove often, or at least kept the interior clean. He wanted to say something, break the silence, but he knew Detective Reed would only be unpleasant in response.

 

So they sat in silence for twenty minutes. It was a relief when they pulled into the parking lot of the bar and wordlessly, and at least five feet away from each other, located the alley cordoned off by the bright yellow crime scene holotape.

 

“Right through here, Detectives,” the officer waiting by the holotape gestured to the alleyway. A quick scan of his face told Connor this was Officer Kevin Wilson.

 

A few more officers stood by, watching the CSI team collecting samples for lab analysis. 

 

“You guys find anything interesting?” He heard Reed ask. Connor turned his head to observe. He had yet to see how Detective Reed performed his investigations. Hank was a bit erratic in his methods, jumping from one side of the room to the other if something caught his eye. Connor liked to highlight points of interest and work his way towards them, starting from either the center or the edge of the scene if applicable.

 

Detective Reed had an old fashioned pad of paper in hand. Interesting. Not only did he drive and older car, he also seemed to have a preference for outdated technology. Most officers, even Hank, recorded notes verbally.

  
“Single victim, bludgeoned to death. Time of death hasn't been established. We were ordered to leave the body alone until Detective Anderson arrived. I’m not complaining, nobody wants to get in close to that face, but it is strange.”

 

“Yeah, Fowler mentioned it could be connected to a few other cases he has him on,” he lied. “Anderson requested rights to view the body first.”

 

“Christ, just what we need. It’s not a serial murder is it?”

 

“Nah, nothing like that. Don't worry about it.”

 

Satisfied that Detective Reed was capable of protecting their secret, Connor began scanning the scene. Aside from the body, there were several places he wanted to examine. A dumpster sat close to the body, a good potential hiding place for a murder weapon.

 

The body was laying in a supine position in a dark red mess of snow and blood. Shoes prints led away from the body down the opposite ending the alley.

 

Analyzing// Size 8 CyberLife Brand Athletic Shoes

 

He made note to follow them after he finished with the body and surrounding area.

 

A sizable smear of thirium was mixed in with the human blood when he scanned for it. Not far from the body, more thirium was spattered over the wall and dumpster.

 

Connor crouched over the body and scanned the face, comparing the damage to possible weapon patterns. The most likely match was something narrow, like a pipe or a baseball bat. Splinters of green were nestled in the wounds on his face. He deftly plucked one of the splinters from the flesh and examined it closer. Hickory. Definitely a bat, and an old one at that. Hickory wood was too heavy and fell out of favor decades ago.

 

He moved on to the rest of his body, scanning for other injuries. His right arm and side were deformed. On closer inspection, he noted the ulna was fractured, likely from using his arm to block the blows to his face. Connor lifted the man’s shirt and examined his ribs. They were definitely broken, but the bruising was minimal compared to his other injuries, despite the obvious trauma, indicating possible postmortem breakage.

 

Comparing the man’s injuries with the patterns of disruption in the snow surrounding his corpse, Connor began reconstructing the scene.

 

The victim was attacked head on. He raised his arms to protect his head, when the bat came down on his right arm and fractured the ulna. He fell backwards, landing in the snow and desperately tried to back away. The bat came down again and again in his face, well after he was dead. After stopping, the attacker began kicking him. The anger behind the attack indicated it may have been personal. The victim potentially knew his killer.

 

Connor dipped his fingers in the blood and touched the end to his tongue.

 

//CONNECTING//SYNC IN PROGRESS//SYNC COMPLETE//COLLECTING DATA//PROCESSING DATA

 

Seconds later he was met with a confusing mess of results, indicating multiple DNA sources.

 

DNA Analysis: UNKNOWN

Species: Android

Sample Date: > 4.3 Hours

Sex: UNKNOWN

Model: AC700

 

DNA Analysis: UNKNOWN

Species: Human

Sample Date: > 4.3 Hours

Sex: Male

Other: Blood Alcohol Level at 0.0855%

Important: Connected To Case File CA-11-29-38-9-12, CA-12-01-38-9-17, CA-12-06-38-9-22, CA-12-11-38-9-03

 

DNA Analysis: UNKNOWN

Species: Human

Sample Date: > 9.2 Hours

Sex: Male

 

One of them flagged as important. He sorted mentally through his case files and reviewed the four in question.

 

**November 29th, 2038. Homicide. Female AX400.**

**Case Number:** CA-11-29-38-9-12

-Victim suffered minor burns, multiple stab wounds and dismembered postmortem.

-DNA belonging to Suspect A.

 

**December 1st, 2038. Homicide. Female WE900.**

**Case Number:** CA-12-01-38-9-17

-Victim suffered blunt force trauma, minor burns and was dismembered and decapitated postmortem.

-DNA belonging to Suspect B

 

**December 6th, 2038. Homicide. Male PL600.**

**Case Number:** CA-12-06-38-9-22

-Victim suffered blunt force trauma, antemortem dismemberment and was burned to death.

-DNA Match to Suspect C

-DNA belonging to Suspect B

 

**December 11th, 2038 Double Homicide. Male TS500 and Female AX400.**

**Case Number:** CA-12-11-38-9-03

-Victim One (TS500) suffered blunt force trauma, postmortem dismemberment and burns. Victim Two (AX400) suffered blunt force trauma, minor burns and lacerations, antemortem dismemberment

-DNA Match to suspect C

-Hair belonging to suspect A

 

All five androids were dismembered, by a group of at least three people. The missing limbs were never located, leading him to believe they were taken by their assailants for some reason. Connor has visited each crime scene personally and the brutality was enough to leave him feeling vulnerable.

 

The dead man was most likely their murderer, or at least took part in their deaths. One of them had his blood under his fingernails and, another had saliva from spitting on them. Connor felt around the pockets of his clothing. The outline of a wallet was pressed against his leg. Connor eased the leather from the confines of his pants pocket and flipped it open, revealing several credit cards and a driver’s license.

 

Preston Garrett. The name sent an uncomfortable wave of heat through his biocomponents. It felt good to finally have a name to go with the crime. It felt even better to see him dead, his face an unrecognizable mass of flesh like his victims. Unfortunately, he couldn't interview the man and find out why he killed those androids, or who his accomplices were.

 

“What are you doing?” Connor’s head snapped up. Detective Reed was crouched on the other side of the body, glaring at him.

 

“Detective Reed, I believe I may have found something.”

 

“Oh yeah? Just from looking at what’s left of the guy’s face?” Reed’s right brow was tilted up in a skeptical expression.

 

“Yes. I have identified the victim--” It didn't sound right, calling him a victim. “--I also detected three separate DNA signatures, two human, one of them belonging to the victim, and one Android. The weapon--”

 

“Hold the phone, when did you find time to do all that? We’ve only been here ten minutes.”

 

“I can check samples in real time and my scanners are connected to the DPD database, Detective.” For some reason, this seemed to upset him.

 

“Of fucking course they are.” Reed shot him a dirty look and waved his hand impatiently. “Get on with it then, genius.” Connor frowned at his tone but continued.

 

“The weapon is most likely an old baseball bat with green paint. I analyzed the splinters in his face and determined the wood type is hickory.” Detective Reed scribbled something on his notes.

 

“You said you identified him. Who is this guy?”

 

“The victim is Preston Garrett. He’s connected to to the murders of at least three androids, and may be part of a group that has murdered at least two other androids. I detected his blood and saliva at two of the crime scenes. He liked to burn his victims, melting through the plastic until they were no longer able to function properly. He also removed the limbs and presumably took them with him.” Detective stopped writing, his screwed up with discomfort.

 

“He _took_ them? _Where? Why?_ ”   
  
“If I knew the answer to that I would have told you, Detective. It is currently unknown why he would want them. The most likely scenario is possible trophy collecting. Some serial killers keep mementos of their crime by removing body parts, I assume this would be no different.” Detective Reed shook his head.

 

“Anything else?”

 

“The suspect beat him until he was no longer breathing, then proceeded to kick him for several seconds. I can show you the reconstructed scene later if you would like.”

 

“Send it to me.” Detective Reed said. He stood up, wobbling once he straightened out. Connor noted the bruising under his eyes and checked the time again. It was approaching two in the morning now.

 

“Alright, so I'm thinking if this guy was killing androids, either one of them fought back or hunted him down.”

 

“That does line up with the evidence. He may have had an accomplice. I detected a second unique DNA sample belonging to a human male. There wasn’t a match to any previously collected blood sample, however. And there are no other footprints on the scene, other than our own and the one belonging to the man who found the body in the first place.”

 

“So he attacked the wrong android, and got what was coming to him.” Detective Reed said plainly. “Any idea where they went?”

 

“Not yet. I was going to follow the footprints after doing a sweep of the area. I want to check the dumpster first.”  
  
“No need,” Reed said. “If you stick around long enough you’d have heard it’s empty. Trash collection was yesterday morning. CSI guys already packed up anything useful.”   
  
“Oh.” His LED flashed yellow. Perhaps he should have stayed longer. “Still, I would like to examine the dumpster. There are traces of thirium on the outside.” Detective Reed pinched the bridge of his nose, and demanded he ‘hurry the fuck up’. Connor bit back a reply and approached the dumpster. The thirum on the outside appeared to be smudged, as if someone brushed against it. He was hit with a powerful odor of rot when he pushed one of the lids up.   
  
Sometimes he wished CyberLife hadn’t given Androids certain senses.

 

The dumpster was empty, like the detective said, but he could see traces of thirium inside. Connor pulled himself on top of the dumpster and lowered himself inside so he could get to it. He was very glad that Hank wasn’t here to see him dip his fingers in a puddle of putrid liquified garbage and thirium and bring it to his tongue.

 

//CONNECTING//SYNC IN PROGRESS//SYNC COMPLETE//COLLECTING DATA//PROCESSING DATA

 

DNA Analysis: UNKNOWN

Species: Android

Sample Date: > 1.6 Months

Sex: UNKNOWN

Model: CX100

 

The thirium wasn’t a match to the thirium on the body. The sample appeared to be a month old, and was most likely not relevant to the case.

 

With nothing else within the dumpster to examine, he pulled himself back out of the dumpster, activating the self-cleaning function of his suit and fixing his tie.

 

“Did you have fun dumpster diving?”  


“Not particularly, no.”  


“Told you there was nothing in there, dipshit. Are you satisfied now?”

 

“Also no. All we can do now is attempt to trace the suspect’s footsteps.”  
  
Connor wished he could say the footprints lead to the suspect, but much to his frustration, the visible prints were gone the moment they reached the sidewalk. About halfway down the block they disappeared abruptly.

 

“Are you sure they even came this way?” Detective Reed asked when Connor stopped. “I don't see anything indicating someone was here.”

 

“I'm tracking the thirium,” he explained. “The trail ends here, however. It is likely that the suspect hailed a taxi or was picked up by another.”

 

“Great. We have nothing.”

 

“Unfortunately. We will have to request access to security footage to see where they went.” Connor reached into his pocket and felt for his coin. It always helped him focus. They headed back to the crime scene in silence, Detective Reed still scribbling in his notes and Connor rubbing his coin with his thumb.


	3. Chapter 3

“Thank you for the ride, Detective. I will see you in the morning. Have a good night.” Gavin watched the android climb the stairs to the police department building, carrying the case file.

 

“Yeah, whatever…” he mumbled long after the android was inside. His brain felt like mush. Half past two and he had to be back at six. It wasn’t going to be a good night at all. He entertained the thought of strangling both the android and their boss and then skipping work but unfortunately murder was illegal. Not to mention Connor was, for some unfathomable reason, very popular around the office. Chris he could understand, the guy liked everyone (he was too damn nice for a job like this), and Fowler was just glad he was keeping Lieutenant Anderson out of trouble.

 

Everyone else? No idea. Personally, he hated the smug little bastard the second he first saw him.

 

The drive home was mercifully short, at least. With half the city still vacant, it really cut down on traffic. He slammed his door shut behind him with no care for what his neighbors might think.

 

> Gavin: chris you _owe me_

 

He tossed his phone on the bed and pulled off his clothes. He was too tired to change into nightwear. Not that it would matter if he did, he would only get two hours before he needed to get ready for work again, unless he skipped showering and breakfast.

  
  
The android revolution really fucked everything up. Sure there were thousands of androids in the city to pick up the slack when most of the human population left, but most of them weren’t completely ready to integrate themselves into society. He couldn’t really blame them, it was dangerous to be an android these days.

 

As humans started trickling back into the city, crime started rising again. Considering most of the department was still absent or sick, that left people like him to take on more work than they could handle to the keep the city running.

  
  
For Gavin, that meant patrol. God how he hated patrolling. The past two days he did nothing but balance Chris’s patrols and his investigations.

 

  
“Chris better appreciate this,” he groaned, then collapsed onto the bed. JD meowed at him and butted his head against his arm.

 

“Oh go bother someone else, I’m not in the mood for you tonight.” Still, he rubbed the cat’s head affectionately. Damn cat had him wrapped his his paw. JD responded by nipping at his fingers and kneading his claws into Gavin’s leg, as usual. Prick.

 

Despite how exhausted he was, every time he closed his eyes he kept seeing the body. He felt like they must have missed something, but there was nothing else at the scene. He couldn’t even see the thirium; as much as he hated to say it, he was lucky Connor could. Tracing thirium after it evaporated was a bitch unless you had special equipment, or Connor. A load of good it did when the trail cut off, though.

 

“What do you think?” He said aloud. “Wilson said there were no witnesses aside from drunk who found him. Wonder bot didn't see anything indicating a second person on location, yet there was another person’s blood at the scene.” His scanners could be wrong.

 

“You're a real help, cat,” he mumbled. He wasn’t expecting an answer anyway.

 

Gavin groaned, frustrated. “Just go to sleep Gavin, you have work in three hours.” He jammed the pillow over his head and tried to think of anything but murder.

 

* * *

 

 

Connor pushed the door open quietly and slipped into the dark house, the grocery bag tangled in his fingers rustling from the motion. Sumo growled quietly from his favorite spot by the desk, but calmed down when Connor shushed him. It was three in the morning. Hank would likely strangle him if he woke him this early, especially when he was ill.

 

The table light suddenly clicked on, and Connor jumped.

 

“You have any idea what time it is, Connor?”   
  
“Hank!” Somehow, he hadn’t seen man reclining on the couch. If he jumped, hopefully no one saw it. He wasn't normally so easy to startle. “Why aren’t you in bed? You should be resting.”

 

“Too nauseous to sleep. And don't change the subject, it’s three in the morning.”

 

“I apologize, Hank, Captain Fowler assigned me another case. Detective Reed and I were at the crime scene for a while. I'll try to be on time tonight.” He held up his grocery bag. “I also picked up some vegetable broth for you on the way home.”

 

“You spoil me, kid,” Hank huffed. “And I don’t care if you stay late, hell, knowing the job as well as I do I expect it some nights. I just want you to at least leave a message so I don’t have to worry. The streets aren’t even a hundred percent for humans at night, let alone an android.”

 

  
“I’ll be sure to do that in future.” Hank nodded approvingly. Then he sat up and scooted to the end of the couch, leaving a spot for Connor. Connor sat on the couch next to Hank, dropping his bag on the table, and noted how much heat seemed to radiate off of his body. He really needed to get back to bed soon.

 

“So, you said he had you working with Reed? Did he give you any trouble?”   
  


“Less so than I expected. While he was against it at first, once we began the investigation he was much more… likable, I suppose. He didn’t argue with my analysis at all.”

 

“I guess if there was ever anything good to say about that asshole it’s that he takes his job seriously.”

 

“His behaviour confuses me, Hank. I don’t understand him at all.” Hank snorted.

 

“Nobody understands Reed, Connor, and nobody really wants to. He’s a racist prick that thinks too much of himself. Not the kind of guy you want to be friends with.”

 

Connor leaned back into the couch and stared at the ceiling. “Over the past twenty five days, I haven’t heard Detective Reed say a single thing that could be considered racist towards androids. When he insults me it’s no different from anything he would say to a fellow human.”

 

“Just because you don't hear him say it doesn't mean he's not thinking it. You know Fowler had that little talk with what’s left of the department before we came back, about treating androids with respect. He’s smart enough at least to keep his mouth shut when his job is on the line or he wouldn’t have made it this far.”

 

For some reason, the answer didn’t placate him.

“You didn’t like me either when we first met,” he pointed out.

 

“If you want to play nice with him, I won’t stop you,” Hank sighed, “but guys like him aren’t worth the effort. Trust me son, I’ve known that asshole since he was a rookie and he’s never changed.”

 

“I’ll take that into consideration, Hank. I need to go back soon for my next shift. You’ll try to get some sleep, won't you?”   
  


“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get back to bed, don’t worry.”

 

* * *

 

“Fuck off JD…” Gavin muttered, pushing the cat off of his face. The cat yelled at him again, smacking a paw on his face. “Stooooop,” he whined, rolling over. God, he just wanted to sleep without his cat assaulting him and that loud, incessant sound of cymbals crashing in his ears.

 

He shot up so fast his head spun. Frantically Gavin reached for his alarm clock, cursing when he realized it was five thirty and he somehow managed to sleep through the sound of his alarm for half an hour.

 

“Fuck my life…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hank was a bitch and didn't want to cooperate. I originally felt bad for giving him the flu but now he can suffer. (Still love you Hank <3 Drink your broth and go to bed)
> 
> Gavin named his cat after JD from Heathers. JD is a medium fur dark orange/brown color with black paws and face. His eyes are yellow. He loves everyone but Gavin.


	4. Chapter 4

“Good morning, Detective Reed.” Detective Reed’s head lifted about an inch off the desk and turned enough so that Connor could see the hateful expression in his eyes. He didn't have to say it, the ‘get away from me’ was clear enough. Connor didn't let this deter him, however.

 

“About seven minutes ago, a PJ500 was found beaten, dismembered and partially burned under the MacArthur Bridge. Normally I wouldn't have brought it up but it appears to be linked to the murder investigation from last night. I've taken the liberty of copying the file and all others pertaining to the murders and sending them to your case logs.”

 

Detective Reed groaned and buried his head in his arms again.

 

“Detective?”

 

He received a single raised middle finger.

 

“If you don't want to cooperate I’m afraid I’ll have to visit the crime scene alone, and Captain Fowler will probably want to know why your name isn't on the report.”

 

“God, can you give me a fucking break? I only got two hours of sleep this morning, I can’t deal with this right now.”   


 

“I apologize, but I must insists. I could drive--”

 

“No.”

 

“Are you sure? If you are too tired--”

 

“NO.”

 

Maybe he should make a tactical retreat and rethink his approach. Connor backed off, and looked around. Chris was waving at him from just outside the meeting room, looking very amused by the interaction he just had with Detective Reed.

 

“Good morning, Chris,” he greeted as he made his way over to him. Perhaps Chris could provide insight on his current dilemma.

 

“Hey Connor, I see you and Gavin are finally bonding? You get bored with everyone else gone?”

 

“Unfortunately no,” Connor said, turning his head towards the detective again. “Captain Fowler assigned us a case, and he remains difficult.”

 

“That’s just the way he is when he doesn’t get his beauty sleep. He’ll be back to normal in a few hours.” Connor wasn't quite sure what the difference between tired Reed and awake Reed was; they honestly seemed like the same person.

 

“But I need him to accompany me to the crime scene now,” Connor pointed out, frowning. Chris snorted humorously.

 

“Alright, no need to pout, I’ll talk to him. Wait here.” Connor wasn't pouting.  Was he? He touched the corners of his mouth. He didn't  _ feel _ like he was. He was still unaware of certain emotions and how they affected his expression, but frustration to his knowledge didn’t cause him to push his lower lip forward and angle his head down in a pout, like Chris was implying he had. Perhaps he would need to review the memory later in front of a mirror and study his face again. For now, Connor cleared his face of all expression and focused on Chris and Detective Reed, wondering if anything he learned from their interaction could help him managed the detective later on his own.

 

“You alright, Gavin? You look like death warmed over.” Connor furrowed his brow, confused once again by his coworker, and his strange choice of words. How was this supposed invigorate the detective?

 

“Fuck off Chris, this is your fault.” Detective Reed’s voice was muffled by his arms. He turned his head to the side again and glared at the officer. “Is he doing any better?”

 

“His fever’s gone. I really appreciate you covering me the last two days. I know how much you hate patrols.”

 

“Mmhmm.”

 

“You really do like you clawed your way out of the grave, though.” Chris pulled a ten dollar bill out of his pocket and stuffed it between Detective Reed’s arm and forehead. “You should go get a coffee, on me, before you head off to that crime scene.”

 

“I don't accept bribes.” The bill disappeared in his hand.

 

“Sure you don’t,” Chris grinned. “You better get going before the traffic gets bad.”

 

“Ugh… fine…”

 

Chris flashed Connor a smug grin as he walked back and clapped his shoulder. “He’s all yours Connor.”

 

“Thank you Chris, I appreciate your help.”

 

“You won't be saying that when you get in the car with him, but sure, any time.”

 

Connor chewed his bottom lip. “If I may, I don’t understand how insulting Detective Reed gained his cooperation. I believe if I attempted to do something similar, it would end very differently.”

 

“It’s all in the relationship, Connor. Gavin and I have one based on mutual insults. We used to be partners, you know, before he transferred to the Homicide division.”

 

“No, I didn’t know that. What does that have to do with ‘mutual insults’?”

 

“It means we had to learn to get along, and eventually the insults weren’t really insults anymore.” He paused for a moment, then said, “Connor, you have noticed the Lieutenant insults you at least three times a conversation, right?”

 

“Yes, but Hank talks to everyone that way, doesn’t he?” Chris shook his head, flashing him a lopsided smile.

 

“I really don’t how to explain other than some people just bond over pretending to hate each other. Don’t worry too much about it, Connor. You’ve only been doing this emotions thing for a month, and we’ve all had years to try and figure it out. I’m sure you’ll you’ll pick up on it eventually.” He lifted a finger and pointed towards Gavin’s desk.

 

“You better go get him before he passes out.”   


 

“Of course. Thank you again, Chris.” Connor finally returned to Detective Reed’s desk.

 

“Hello again, Detective Reed. Are you ready to go now? My offer to drive still stands.”   
  


“No way I’m letting you drive me anywhere!” With some effort and a lot of wincing, Reed sat up and rubbed the corners of his eyes. On further observation, Connor came to the conclusion that Detective Reed did, in a way, resemble a corpse. Pale skin, the dark bruises under his eyes… Maybe Chris was on to something.

  
“I really must insist, Detective. Studies indicate sleep deprivation in humans produces mental impairments equivalent to that of a human with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent or higher. After observing your reaction time, I feel it would be unwise to allow you to drive.”

  
Detective Reed glared at him, unblinking, for a full minute.

 

“Fine, you drive, but we’re stopping for coffee before we go.”

  
“That’s an acceptable compromise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mission: Get Gavin in the car - Success
> 
> I had this chapter complete before chapter three, but it was just shy of a thousand words, and I want each chapter to be over a thousand if I can get it there, so I spent some time editing... *sighs*
> 
> Chris is great. I noticed that he and Gavin are kind of chummy with each other, so I assumed they had to be sort of friends at least. I did some reading on Detectives and found that they hold the same rank as patrol officers, and I decided that they were both patrol officers together. For some reason I feel like Chris doesn't want to take the Detective route, I feel like he enjoys the patrol, unlike Gavin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So about a fourth of the way into this chapter I realized that people have friends and family and that the androids I killed probably had loved ones who were interviewed and it took me a long time to decide on this stuff. Not to mention I had to map out the locations.
> 
> I can now say with certainty that I know downtown Detroit better than I know my own town.
> 
> Oh, and I attached an image I doodled of one of the scenes in this chapter.

Lieutenant Anderson’s car was disgusting. Crumpled napkins and papers littered the dashboard, which was also covered in all manner of stickers and tasteless knicknacks. There was an honest to god hula girl behind the wheel. Not to mention everything smelled like stale pine trees and wet dog. He hated it.

 

He kept his arms wrapped tightly around his body to avoid the sticky patch on the door from who knows what. How did he spill something on the door if he sat in the driver's seat? How could Connor stand sitting in something so dirty when his sensors were delicate enough to identify three separate DNA signatures in a single smear of blood?

 

It was a crime for someone to treat such a gorgeous car like this. Real leather seats and what did he do? Spill coffee on them. Another thing to add to his list of reasons why he didn't like him.

 

When the car pulled into the parking lot across from the Galaxy Bean he shot out of the car faster than Connor could cut the engine, sucking in the scent of freezing city air. Fuck, he couldn't last five minutes in that car. How the hell was he going to make it to the MacArthur Bridge?

 

Connor apparently decided to follow him, catching up to him as he reached the sidewalk. “Are you alright, Detective?”

 

“That car is _disgusting_.”

 

“I apologize. I have been meaning to tidy up for a month now, but Hank is insisting on being present to make sure I don’t remove anything important.”

 

“Right, napkins and coffee stains are so important.”

 

“You never know, Detective. The lieutenant can be very sentimental at times.” The android stepped ahead of him and opened the door to the Galaxy Bean, his head slightly tilted to the side. Gavin brushed past him, shaking his head. Whatever he was trying to do, Gavin wanted no part of it. He could tell Connor was disappointed by the quiet sigh that followed the jingle of the door closing.

 

“You didn't have to follow me in,” he said as they approached the counter.

 

“Can I ask you a personal question?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why do you dislike me so much?”

 

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”

 

“If there’s something I do that upsets you, I would like to know so that I may attempt to avoid that behaviour in your presence.” God, he was persistent. Gavin leaned against the counter and rung the bell. A few seconds later, an android peeked her head through the door to the kitchen and hurried out to the register. The name on her uniform read ‘Mary’.

 

“I’m sorry for the wait. What can I get you today?”

 

“What’s the strongest thing on the menu?”

 

“We have the triple espresso. It’s four and a half ounces..”

 

“Uh, can you make a large espresso? Like twenty ounces of it instead?”

 

Both androids looked at him with horrified expressions.

 

“I'm sorry Detective Reed but that’s over a thousand milligrams of caffeine. It’s recommended that a human consumes no more than four hundred in one day.”

 

“If I wanted your opinion I would have asked, dipshit. I know my limits.”

 

“But--”

 

“So I’ll take the large espresso, two sugars,” Gavin said, speaking over Connor.

 

“O-okay, coming right up, sir.” Gavin handed over the bills and started tapping his foot on the floor, suppressing a yawn as he watched her prepare his coffee. His hands felt warm when he wrapped them around the steaming hot cup.

 

He immediately downed a quarter of it, unflinching. He imagined the caffeine rushing through his body, slapping his brain into consciousness. Gavin also ignored the look Connor gave him, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment for putting such an uncomfortable expression on his stupid smug face.

 

“What are you waiting for? I thought we had a crime scene to get to.” He sipped at his coffee again, hiding his smirk behind the lid as the android’s LED cycled through all three colors, first blue to yellow, then yellow to red for a brief second, before settling back on yellow.

 

“You never answered my question.”

 

“And I’m not going to, so you can just drop it.” Gavin pushed the door open and the warmth of the Galaxy Bean was quickly replaced with the freezing winter air. The wind had picked up while they inside, sending chills down his entire body. A cotton shirt and leather coat weren't the best insulators, but it was what he managed to toss on this morning, before spilling food into JD’s bowl (and on the floor), and stumbling out the door.

 

As Gavin yanked open the passenger side door, he caught out of the corner of his eye Connor rubbing his hands together and shivering. He didn’t know androids could feel cold. It was kind of creepy just how human they were, if he really looked. He shook the thoughts from his head and focussed on the case instead. The sooner they got this over with the sooner he could go back to doing solo assignments.

 

“So this is all connected to four other cases, right?”

 

“Correct. I sent the files to your computer.”

 

“Well I didn’t have time to log in the morning before you dragged me out here. Update me on the way.” At least that would distract him from the mess that was the car he was trapped in for the next ten or so minutes.

 

“Very well, Detective. The first murder took place November 29th. An AX400 by the name of Miranda was found dismembered in the alley behind her apartment building. She was living with her original owner, Nina Bret, who sheltered her during the revolution. I interviewed Ms. Bret, but she provided no useful information. Miranda didn’t leave the apartment often, and when she did, she never went alone.”

 

“And yet she still wound up dead.”

 

“I reviewed security footage from the elevator and saw her leaving alone around midnight after her roommate was in bed. Her stress levels were around 27.3%, higher than the average baseline, but nothing to indicate she was afraid. The building doesn't have exterior security cameras, and she didn’t appear on any other cameras in the surrounding area, indicating she was attacked as soon as she left the building.”

 

“So whoever attacked her knew she would be leaving?”

 

“It’s possible, yes. She never removed her LED, so we can't rule out the chance that this was a random attack, either.

 

Gavin hummed, then sipped his coffee. She never left home alone, and the one time she did, she was immediately attacked and killed. Was she meeting someone? Was it just a case of wrong time wrong place?

 

“What about the next one?”

 

“The second victim was a WE900 named Samantha, killed December 1st. She was found in the alley behind the Gray Garden, a restaurant she worked in. The owner, Howard Parker, said she was working overnight late to prepare for a party they were catering the next day.”

 

“She was there alone?”

 

“Yes. Mr. Parker said she would have left around six in the morning when her shift ended. There were no signs of a struggle inside the restaurant, but the back door was unlocked and the food was on the counter as if she was in the middle of preparation. There was no security footage available, but the most likely scenario is that she left the building and was attacked out back.”

 

“And this Howard Parker was where when the murder occurred?”

 

“He was home with his family from nine o’clock to seven, when his employee called him. I confirmed this with his neighbors. He seemed very upset that she was killed, and revealed that they were good friends. He purchased her in 2033 and when she devianted, he offered her a job.”

 

“She have any enemies? Former employee she replaced? Upset customers? Anything?”

 

“Mr. Parker couldn’t think of anything at the time, but he was instructed to call in if he could remember something at a later date.”  


“I noticed they both seem to have been attacked the moment they were alone and out of camera range.”

 

“Yes, that appears to be a commonality among most of the cases. The third victim, a PL600 named Phil, was seen entering the small alley between the Hamilton Hotel and Caper Garden downtown late December 6th. It was discovered that most of the footage was looped to show an empty parking lot. The only usable footage was from an indoor camera across the street that happened to be pointed in that direction.”

 

“So someone in the group has some experience with technology.”

 

“Yes. They have the skills required to hack the system from afar and alter the footage without being detected, indicating someone with a lot of skill, or an android with very special specifications.” Gavin lifted his right eyebrow and looked at the android.

 

“You think an android is helping them?” That would certainly be a twist. And android helping a bunch of humans murder his own people?

 

“It’s a possibility, but a very low one. Not all androids have the ability to hack from a distance. I’m sure you can imagine what people could have gotten up to if they had their androids hacking cameras and other technology out of sight. The RK Prototypes models all have the most sophisticated hacking technology. There are only two androids belonging to the RK Protype lines. Myself and Markus Manfred. All others were destroyed, and as far as I know, I was the last prototype developed. I cannot imagine Markus would have a motive to do this, and even if we considered him a suspect, we could easily rule him out.”

 

Well, Gavin couldn’t argue there. Markus Manfred was on television nearly every day, or meeting with officials if he wasn’t talking to reporters. Unless he could pinpoint a single location from miles away in the middle of a conversation on live television, he had an alibi.

 

“What about the police models? The… fuck, what was it… PC700s?”

 

“PM700 and PC200,” Connor supplied.

 

“Right, those guys. One of them could have done it. They were designed to help technology. I worked a case once where we had a locked security terminal and she hacked it under half a minute.”

 

“It would require a substantial upgrade, but it is worth looking into. I can access the names and thirium profiles of all police issue androids who left the department.”

 

“What about the last one?”

 

“December 11th. There were two victims, a couple, according to their neighbors in the New Jericho building. An AX400 named Jean and a TS500 named Anthony were found in the warehouse district, in an abandoned storage facility. The renter left Detroit and still hasn’t returned. The bodies were found by the owner after he went to assess the state of the property. As with the third case, evidence of hacking was found.”

 

“What were they doing there?”

 

“Nobody is certain. Hank questioned a few of their neighbors and found that they regularly took walks around the city, but they never stayed out later than five in the afternoon until the day they were murdered. Their bodies were found just before midnight, but they were killed two hours before.”

 

“So we have a girl who never leaves the house alone, and two androids who never stay out past their bedtime. Until what? They just decide one day to try something new, and get killed?” Gavin shook his head. “There’s gotta be a connection here.”

 

“I agree. I just don’t know what it could be.”

 

“The other two, the second and third victim, did they do something out of character the night they died?”

 

“The second victim, no. The third victim I can’t say. Nobody really knew him. He didn't live with the majority of other androids in New Jericho, nor does he have any friends or family. He deviated several years ago and didn't trust anyone, human or android.”

 

Gavin sighed, then sipped his coffee. Something about these cases was right there, a niggling feeling that these five-- now six, androids were killed for… something. Serial killers usually had a type. Even if this was a group, they had to talk it out when they selected their victims.

 

“What about Garrett? The body from this morning?”

 

“I was planning on interviewing his elder brother this afternoon. Steven Garrett is a professor at Edgewater Academy.” Gavin’s lip curled at the name. He spent eight miserable years at Edgewater, and he remembered Steven Garrett. The man was a hardass, no nonsense kind of guy and he picked favorites. Of course Gavin wasn’t one of them, he had no love of science, not like--

 

“Are you alright Detective? You seem distressed.”

 

Gavin pulled himself away from his thoughts. “I’m fine, leave me alone.

 

“Alright," he replied, eyeing him cautiously. "We’re almost at our destination.”

 

Gavin looked out the window and saw the rapidly approaching bridge. Thank God.

 

“Great, I’m getting sick of listening to your voice.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the end was a huge info dump but you needed to know and I thought it would be better to hear Connor say it than watch Gavin read it. If anyone has any idea what's going on, feel free to tell me, I'd love to know your thoughts on the direction of this case/what you think is happening.


End file.
